St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-07-15
a Pitiful, Sight of a Broken Down Nan
Listening to a Just
Sentence.
Almost Carried Into the Court Room
by the Police, He Sat With
Bowed Head.
Judge Potter Grants Stay Until Mon
day---Seenes and Incidents
in Court.

house. At LOG Jacob Sharp was sell
fenced to four years Imprisonment and
to nav a fine of $1,000. Sharp remained
sitting in his reclining chair with his
wife beside him tanning him until the
hOur came at which he was to start for
the court house. He had been able to
take but little nOuriShment and was
very weak. 1t was 80 o'clock when
the carriage drove away from the jail,
and just twenty minutes later 1t stopped
before the county court house. The
party alighted and passed through the
lane made for them 10y the police
through the waiting crowd of curious
spectators to the sheriff's office and
thence to the court room. Sharp was so
weak when going from the carriage to
the iaiI. and on leaving it on his way
into the cOnrt house and up the stairs to
the court room, that it was necessary
for the officers guarding him to support
his tOttering form. Judge Barrett,
whose illness yesterday compelled a
pOStpOnement of the
SENTENCE OF THE CONVICTED MAN,
had recovered sufficiently to-day to be
present i'm the court. He arrived at
the court house at almost the same mo-
ment as the prisoner. The clock was
indicating almost noon when Sharp was
almost carried into the court room. HIS
suffering wife and sOn-in-law were close
behind him, and deep lines of weari-
ness and sorrow overSpread their faces
as they seated themselves beside the
convicted man and famed his Hvld
face, without bringing anything like a
resemblance of color back to 1t. HIS
grandson took the same seat occupied
during the long trial, and lawyers Mel
co.., ond ParS0n seated Them
selves on the right of their client, op-
pOSite his wife and relatives. Sharp sat
with clasped hands and bowed head at
the foot of the table facing the bench.
His face. almost buried in his chest, be-
came flushed and sickly looking under
the riyited gaze of all present, who were
silently staring at the convicted railroad
king. Mrs. Sharp and the rest of the
family, like the prisoner himself, were
silent. The excitement was
BECOMING QUITE FEVERIsH
when sudden hush came over the room
as three rapS on the door announced the
entrance of Judge Barrett, at exactly
12:15 o'clock. After calling the court.
MARITIME got up and stated that as he
heard the defense had some remarks to
make. he wished to hear them. Mr..
Mitchell responded, saying that he had
no application to put in for delay, but
would move for new trial, and wished
the Stenographer to make note Of the
fact. Judge Barrett said that if the doc
ument contained nothing new he would
deny the application for new trial.
Mr.. Mitchell then read the paper, stat
ing that the trial was an unfair one IN
several ways; the jury was prejudiced
against the client and gave an unfair
verdict. Moreover, the judges charge
was an unjust one. Several other points
were raised, but of the Stereotyped va
riety. Judge Barrett stated that the
MOTION WOULD BE DENIED.
District Attorney MARITIME then stood
up to move the court to sentence the
prisoner. He stated that he considered
it his duty to ask the court to appoint
physicians to look into the prisoners
condition of health. and read some GER
tificateS from DrS. Allan and JaneyWay
to the effect that the prisoners health
was very bad. and that he was suffering
from diabetiS, inflammation of the kid
neyS and organic disease of the heart,
which were of serious import to man
of seventy years. He then read DR..
Hamilton's report on the condition OF
Sing Sing and the arrangements for the
care of the sick, which, he said, were OF
most excellent character ali around,
and the place was most healthiiy Situ-
ated. "In view of these facts" con-
cluded Mr.. MARITIME, ''there is nothing
left for me to do but to move for the
sentence of the prisoner" Mr.. Mitchell
then stood up to make last plea Tor
the defense. He said he did not wish
to delay the court, but would ask the
Judge to temper justice with mercy.
Judge Barrett then proceeded to de-
liver the sentence. He said that he had
never performed so delicate task in
his whole professional career. He had
received many letters from many peO-
pie
PLEADING MERCY
and otherwise, but a court was not ap-
pointed to be merciful any more than
was dictated by the laws of justice. A
judge was appointed to award penalties
in accordance to the offenSe, when all
the circumstances connected with the
commission of the OffenSe have been
duly weighed and considered. The de-
fendant herein asking for mercy can
give nothing as plea for clemency but
age and sickness. On the merits of the
case he. certainly is entitled to none
1t is absurd to state that he was not
guilty of giving the brides, as he was
Enthusiastically the leader Of the whole
affair. We have not here, as in the case
of the aldermen, any attempt to prove
crime itself was an enormous One-the
raising of half million of dollars to
corrupt half legislature. Judge Bar
rett reviewed the corrupt action of the
defendant in forming bogus company
to contract with the Seventh Avenue
railway, of which he was adirector, and
alluded to the defendants securing 81,
100000 of profit as sheer larceny, fol
which he could have been indicted just
as well as for bribery.
WHAT'S there to excite pity or mercy ex.
cept the age and i'll health of the prisoner and
the mourning condition of his family! With
over 81, ,000, 900 in his pocket, he clamors foI
mercy without offering to pay penny OF
the amount stolen, so that, should he die IN
prison, his family has vast fortune TO fall
back upon.
At this Mrs. Sharp buried her face in
her handkerchief and wept silently,
while the prisoner himself did not lit
his face from the table.
1.-The legislature does not allow US to go
below the minimum penalty in such grave
offense as the present" continued Judge
Barrett. "An cannot be satified-thoSe who
clamor for the prisoner receiving the full
penalty of the law, and those calling for q
reprimand. All things have been considered,
and the judgment of this court is that the
prisoner be confined four years at hard labor
and that he pay fine of $1,000
An attempt o. applause was made in
one cOrGrcr Of the court as the sentence
was pronounced. but it was quickly
Suppressed. As some of the spectators
moved out of court Mr.. Mitchell stood
nm 10 ask for a delay in the removal o.
Sham To Sing Sing until he had settled